Life’s Precious Moments: Your Maternity Session

Precious New Additions

You haven’t been feeling like yourself lately. You have ruled out any sickness, but you know something is going on. And then you receive the news. You’re expecting a new addition to your family. This can leave you overwhelmed with emotions and everyone’s situation is different. While I’m not here to give you pregnancy or parenting advice, I will take some of the pressure off planning when it comes to documenting this precious memory in the making.

I am a mother of 3 and one of my biggest regrets is never getting professional maternity photos done when I was expecting. I only have one photo of me being pregnant and it’s not a flattering one to say the least. I was wearing blue jeans and my husband’s old T-shirt with my hair pulled back and no make-up. That is all I have to show of my magical transformation into motherhood. So, you guessed it, I will never put that special moment of my life on display.

I didn’t discover my passion for photography until my youngest child was three. The internet wasn’t as popular back then as it is now, so it never crossed my mind to have professional maternity photos done. I only have stories of how big I had gotten, as I shape my arms into a circle in front of me, stating that I looked like I was having triplets. Any time that I tell those stories I wish that I had photos that I would be proud to show them. So, I can’t stress the importance of taking maternity photos. It’s a moment in life us mothers enjoy looking back on, especially when our little ones start to move out on their own.

When is the perfect time to take Maternity Portraits?

The one question that always comes to mind is, when should an expecting mother come in to have maternity photos done? While there is no right or wrong answer to this, I have seen a lot of photographers suggest 21-36 weeks or 7 months. I disagree. I have seen some mothers start documenting the growth of her unborn child early in the game. She starts taking photos from the moment she finds out. (Here at Andrae Michaels National Portrait Company we have a great studio membership that is perfect for those mothers that want to watch their belly grow). Then I see other mothers that want to wait and document herself at the peak of pregnancy, documenting only the end of the pregnancy. Just be careful with waiting too long. I have seen time and time again babies arriving early and mothers missing out on the chance to take maternity photos. So, the real answer to the perfect time to come in for maternity photos is whenever you decide you’re ready.

Consider this for your Maternity Session:

Here are some suggestions of things to think about when it comes to documenting that “Labor of Love.” We want to capture not only that special moment, but your personality as well. So, take a moment and think about what type of Maternity Session you would like. Yep you have options. You can do any kind of maternity session from Romantic to Whimsical. Do you want it to be just the expecting mother? How about both Mother and Father to be? Or why not get the whole family involved? It’s totally up to you. We also offer a wide variety of maternity wraps and gowns to show off that perfect belly bump (with the maternity wraps we suggest wearing neutral colored undergarments such as black, white or tan. A strapless bra is always a plus too, but not necessary).

Another suggestion is Timeline photos. A timeline photo doesn’t have to be month to month images. It can be as simple as each family member holding a sign with what year they were born, or something that states when the couple met, if/when the couple was married, or when the couple is expecting. You can get creative with timeline photos.

Baby Reveals are also very popular as well. The common reveal is the gender reveal. Is it a girl? Is it a Boy? Let’s snap away until we find out. It’s also a great way to tell family members. There was one couple where his wife used a photography session to tell her husband that they where expecting. Capturing his expression and the excitement of the couple will be photos that they will cherish forever. So keep in mind that Baby Reveals are not just gender reveals. It can be any kind of news throughout the pregnancy that you want to document and share with your loved ones.

Customize your own Maternity session

Sentimental things are always a good way of showing your love and customizing your session. So, bring in your sonograms, or that first pair of shoes you bought them. Showing a little bit of humor is always fun as well: heritage items that show off your culture, heirlooms that were passed down generation to generation. All these things can take a priceless image to the next level and make them mean so much more to you. The options you have are truly endless.